TIME MANAGEMENT

Welcome to the Viterbo University Time Management workshop. If you have additional questions after viewing the workshop, please contact the Academic Resource Center, 332 Murphy Center, or mjgrowt@viterbo.edufor more information.

TIME MANAGEMENT IN COLLEGE

• Sole responsibility for managing time

• Less structured time

• Multiple roles to balance

TIME VS. MONEY

• Time is more valuable than money

• Time not used is time lost

• Manage your time usage

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.

Carl Sandburg

HOW DO YOU GET STARTED?

• A “Time Audit” can offer valuable information

TIME AUDIT

To review your time usage, fill in your activities for a week. To further evaluate your time distribution, complete the summary available on the next slide.

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

• How would you describe your usage of time?

• Did you observe any trends in the audit?

• Evaluate the distribution of your time. Are you satisfied with how your time is being spent? Were you surprised by anything the summary revealed?

HOW DO YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR APPROACH TO TIME?

• What change(s), if any, might you make after looking at your time distribution?

• Are you getting the most important things done first?

WHAT’S NEXT?

• What plan do you have for making tangible changes to your use of time?

• What different choices can you commit to making?

TOOLSThere are a variety of tools that can be used for better time management:

• Weekly PlannersFOR THE WEEK OF ___________________________________________

TIME MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

Priorities of the Week Long-Term Assignments

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

8:00

a.m.

9:00

10:00

11:00

12:00

1:00

p.m.

2:00

3:00

4:00

5:00

6:00

7:00

8:00

9:00

10:00

11:00

12:00

WEEKLY PLANNERS

• Some things to keep in mind when filling out a weekly planner:

– Record fixed commitments first

– Schedule study time

– Have a balance to your schedule

– View your schooling as your job

TERM PLANNER

Term Planner

Get out your course syllabi and enter all of the important dates for tests, homework, and assignments. After you have entered your exam and other task dates on the

calendar, look at the dates. Think about how many days or weeks you’ll need to study for major exams or write papers. Mark the days or the weeks in which these tasks

will be priorities. Before you make out your weekly plan each week, examine your term plan to identify the week’s main priority. Insert rows as needed.

Week Of Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

• A Term Planner provides the opportunity for an overview of the entire semester.

• Writing in all upcoming tests and assignments early in the semester allows you to anticipate when busy times will occur, so you can plan accordingly.

PROJECT BREAKDOWN

Name ______________________________________ PROJECT BREAKDOWN

Class: ________________________ Project: ________________________ Due Date: ______________________

Steps to take: Time Allotted

Planned Date

Date Completed

One cause of procrastination is the desire to avoid what seems unpleasant or overwhelming. A Project Breakdown can provide a more realistic view of what steps are involved in completing a bigger task.

Prioritize Tasks

– Goals

– Do-It-Today

– A-B-C

A List = Most important tasks

B List = Next important

C List = Least important (long-term)

GENERAL GUIDELINES

• Set goals

• Know your best time of day

• Control interruptions

• Tackle hard subjects first

• Make time for yourself

• Don’t over commit

• Study short and often

FIGHT THE URGE TO PROCRASTINATE

• Notice when you are procrastinating

• Determine specific goals

• Divide projects into small manageable pieces (see Project Breakdown)

• Get started

• Reward yourself